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I’d really rather not talk about–or be subjected to–Starbucks baristas’ views on race in America. But just in case–since I now apparently have no choice in the matter (other than the choice to skip Starbucks)–I have a few things, several of which I sent out on Twitter yesterday (follow me on Twitter), that I’d like to ask.

(Yes, there was a Rolex Dior, and, yes, I correctly guessed that he was Black. Most women named, “Chanel”–also mostly Black. Contrary to popular race-baiting, noting cues to a person’s race or ethnicity isn’t racist. It’s just common sense. #RaceTogether with Starbucks.)

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is a smart businessman. He parlayed what used to be a plain two-bucks-a-pop cup of coffee in America into a “gourmet” experience that transformed him into a billionaire. But he’s an unabashed uber-liberal (but for his support for Israel and pride in being Jewish–he was attacked and Muslims boycotted Starbucks for that reason). And he’s made several very boneheaded decisions. His latest–to encourage his employees to start conversations on race with customers–is the most boneheaded. Schultz claims he’s instituting this “Race Together” policy (in conjunction with USA Today) because Americans don’t like to talk about race, and he wants to change that. But ya know what? They don’t like to talk about boogers and bowel movements either. Do you want to hear about that from Starbucks employees while they hand you your coffee? Didn’t think so. And I’d like to hear about race just as much. Maybe even less. There are some things maybe you shouldn’t talk about while you’re trying to sell coffee. Like politics, religion . . . or race (which falls into the politics category). Who says I need a smattering of Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright with my Caramel Macchiato? (For the record, I like Starbucks’ new racist-named coffee, “Flat White.”)

This will do nothing to address the reason most Americans don’t feel comfortable in discussions about race. The reason they don’t like to talk about race is that most Americans are White and branded as “RAAAAAAYYYYYYYCISSSSSST!” whenever they make a legitimate, well-reasoned comment about race that doesn’t fit the standard, accepted liberal narrative that Blacks are victims, that only Whites can be racist, that everything Whites do and everything that happens in society to Black people is racist, that any criticism of anyone in a position of prominence who happens to be Black (Barack Obama!) is racist, and so on. Try talking about the unfairness of affirmative action–which IS racism mostly practiced against White males–and you are essentially the same as a Grand Wizard of the Klan.

And that won’t be any different at Starbucks. You simply aren’t going to be able to say what you really think about race or ask what you really want to ask about race to a Starbucks barista, and why should you? Just give me my damn coffee, thank you. Starbucks is in the coffee biz. It’s not in the political correctness business, no matter how much Schultz believes that’s part of his company’s ethos and aura (free trade coffee, discouraging those of us with guns from bringing them in the stores–so that baristas are defenseless, etc.). In fact, Starbucks is so PC that I’ve often been annoyed that the company calls its employees, “baristas.” Sorry, but I don’t feel comfy calling a guy a “barista.” In my mind, he’s a “baristo” (maybe baristi, especially if it’s plural), if we’re gonna be fancy but accurately so. Barista is a feminine-sounding word.

I long supported Starbucks because it sent free coffee to U.S. troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and because Muslims boycotted Starbucks over Schultz’s support for Israel and denouncing of anti-Semitism, as I reported on this site years ago. But the anti-gun stuff and the race business is really getting on my nerves. I couldn’t care less what the person paid to make me coffee thinks about race or anything else. The only info I want from Starbucks employees is about the drink I’m ordering. That’s it.

Any business that makes it about race is a stupid business. It’s just that simple.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer my coffee without a side of a can of worms.

However, in the event that I am confronted by Starbucks’ “Race Together” race-baiting baloney, here are some of the tweets I posted yesterday with my questions and comments for Starbucks’ baristi. . . .

Can’t speak about Italian, but in Spanish, words (denoting profession or membership, etc.) will end in -ista but be both masculine and feminine. Therefore, Juan would say he is “mexicanO” but a “dentistA.” Fidel Castro is “cubanO” and also a “comunistA.”

When I watch old TV shows like the Dean Martin Roasts, sometimes I think that Americans had a healthier attitude about race and race relations. Here’s a time capsule from a Roast of the great comedian Redd Foxx from 1976 to will show you what I mean:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T68VQjTtiM
Clearly the black and white comedians have great respect for one another and yet they have so much fun joking about race relations. In today’s absurd politically correct climate, you’ll never see shows like this again.

this suprises me from a liability point of view… sure, it’s ok to mention race to whites, even if they’re offended that you’ve asked, it’s a sure bet you won’t be attacked. but many blacks have that hair trigger mentality and i give it a couple weeks until some dopey barista get’s her äss kicked right next to the espresso machine.

let’s be honest, where does the conversation go between a white employee/black customer, or vice versa? “so, what do you think about this crap going down in ferguson?” “crap?! you racist whitey cracka mother f*cker… stay right there while i go get my gack”

afterwards, big time lawsuit from the dead employee’s family for starbucks.
this outta be interesting…

A customer or barista (using the accepted term) will get reported for being racist, there will be publicity, and this idiocy will stop.

BTW, I’d bet most baristas will largely limit their discussion of race to customers they want to pick up or get to know better.

A little further on this subject, the Republicans will undoubtedly miss a golden opportunity to puncture the racism idiocy we are all being subjected to.

Most readers of this column will know that the liberals are calling Netanyahu a racist because he appealed to patriotic Israelis to make sure and vote, in order to prevent the internal Arab enemies of Israel from gaining more power.

Although the Republicans aren’t addressing this particular issue directly in most cases, they are certainly defending Netanyahu verbally against Obama and the media liberals.

it’s too bad that they won’t go the next step and point out that just like Netanyahu is not a racist, so the people against affirmative action, or who think Sterling should have kept his club, or think SAE has a right to due process, and to a lesser punishment (to the extent any punishment would apply at all, which I don’t think should be the case) are not racists either.

The Israeli elections would a tremendous opportunity to segue into a discussion of how ridiculous the racism standards are.

hey! that’s exactly how i make my coffee… i only use french or italian roast. never the sh1tty starbucks brand of beans. i’ll occasionally make espresso in one of those old school, geodesic-shaped espresso makers you put on the stove.

I stopped going to Staryucks years ago. Overpriced and Overhyped battery acid is not to my taste. In addition, if I cannot legally carry a firearm to defend myself while shopping at the store, why bother?

This race conversation campaign will not last long. I feel for the Starbucks employees most of whom are just trying to earn a living. They will sound like insincere fools and may be putting themselves in harms way.

Yes, Paula, I too feel for the employees. Its not easy to go out and get another job these days. I suppose the best thing to do, apart from simply not going to Starbucks, would be not to take it out on them.

Starbucks and Kroger need to get some gonads and put some stores in smaller Midwestern towns. Both of these stores placate the Obama crowd and put stores in inner cities but they refuse to put stores in small towns in the Heart of America and they refuse to put stores along interstates.

Ahh, more lefty liberal poppycock suggesting that the problem is whites aren’t in a ‘dialogue’ about race.

Deb is right. Whites are encouraged to ‘dialogue’ about race, until they say the truth and it destroys the leftist narrative that blacks are sweet innocent angels being victimized by evil white racists.

Thanks to Brad for pointing out the obvious about certain languages, and the confusion those who don’t speak them encounter.

Yes, if John Wayne had ever visited Puerto Rico, or name your favorite “real man,” even he would have been referred to as a “turista”, Debbie, LOL!!!

And why DO you get your coffee from Starbucks? Try Oren’s, Uncle Beanz and a few others, but not CHARbucks. They suck. I admit, I’d rather have bad coffee than no coffee, but Charbucks sucks. Trader Joe’s has some excellent coffees considering the price. Grade B or a bit less compared to the topflight roasters, but when you factor in the price, unbeatable if you’re on a budget.

I’ve been hand grinding for over 23 years, and using the French Press for about 22. It’s the method I settled on after trying various others.

As for the subject of racism, my blond haired, blue eyed, pasty white, outmoded Euro centric ass has been subjected to it since I was four years old. I’m sick of racism being practiced on me, including the accusation that I’m automatically a racist because of what I look like.

If any barista, bastard, or whatever the heck they are ever attempts to start a conversation with me about race while they are selling me a product, I have a solution. I will politely excuse myself from the establishment. I will then contact the Better Business Bureau, and the local political authorities.

I will also consult an attorney about possibly having had my privacy and civil rights violated. And after that, I will consult internet savvy friends of mine to try to inform others, and possibly start a boycott campaign against the establishment or company involved.

We need to STOP talking about race in this country. I’ve been hearing we need to have a discussion about race for the past half century. NO, we need to STOP talking about race.

I like Alfredo’s CHARbucks as per DS ROCK’s comment it tastes burned. I had a Flat White in a Starbucks inside a Safeways last visit to the US and it wasn’t like that typical experience, pretty close to its country of origin actually. Not bad. But being engaged to talk about race would ruin the experience.

I don’t go to Starbucks – as I can get better and cheaper coffee at home, in more comfort, and with a view of the sea. So I hadn’t realised it was so Politically Correct. Can you only order coffee there if you have the Korrect viewpoint?

And how can they tell you aren’t faking it, just to get a coffee? I think they will need to install lie detectors at every branch.

However, should I ever find myself at a Starbucks, I hope I would view it as a chance to witness.

According to the Hebrew Scriptures, there are no separate races – we are all the fatally-flawed children of disobedient Adam, with an even closer common ancestor in faithful Noah. Genesis tells us that everyone alive on earth today is the descendant of one of the three sons of Noah.

So, should I ever find myself being served coffee by a barista/baristo who is interrogating me about my views on race before I am allowed my coffee, I need to be sure I have both my Bible and the publication: “The Origin of Life” with me, as a giant smokescreen of Evolution, Evolution, Evolution has been erected to stop us seeing what Genesis is clearly and simply telling us.

Whether that is acceptable in PC terms I don’t know – the Zeitgeist changes with the wind anyway – but it is the truth. And, if they deny me my coffee, as I said, I can get a nicer and cheaper cup at home.

This is foolish and makes no sense. I could only imagine some overly sensitive Black snapping on some young White worker who tries to innocently converse. Of course its taken the the wrong way and there you go.
Aren’t most of the workers at Starbucks young, why put them through this mess? I don’t drink coffee.
Just Dumb. Dumb

Best coffee one can buy is at Speedway. You can blend it to your individual liking…for .99.

K: I agree. Speedway coffee is very good. But it is often loaded, loaded, loaded with sugar (far more than Starbucks flavor shots). And people often want to meet me at Starbucks b/c it is convenient. You can’t do that with Speedway. Speedway, on the other hand, doesn’t ask you to talk about race. DS

“any criticism of anyone in a position of prominence who happens to be Black (Barack Obama!) is racist”

That should read, “any criticism of anyone in a position of prominence who happens to be LIBERAL ( Marxist, Socialist, Progressive, Communist, etc. ) Black (Barack Obama!) is racist” — in fact, if it happens to be a Conservative Black, “criticism,” slander, libel, ad-hominem attacks, defamation of character are not just permissible, but actually MANDATORY — FAILURE to do so, is punishable by six-years-to-life imprisonment, and forfeiture of all worldly and reputation-based assets.

That’s funny Yonah because I wouldn’t discuss race with YOU because YOU don’t get it. One of us is wrong & it ain’t me.

I wouldn’t discuss race with Blacks because most are too dumb & taken in by the Donk smoke screen or defensive for selfish and/or narcissistic reasons. If they were NOT dumb they would never be taken in my the Libtard smoke screen and would call BS on it & being used & taken advantage of. Luckily, there are great Conservative Blacks who do that & I dig it not just because they are correct, but because they use FACTS and are willing to be outliers & swim upstream. I am always attracted to sorts like that.

It’s so not worth it anyway in 2015. The dummies could never get past the 70% PLUS out of wedlock birth rate that is just crushing the Black Community in 2015 (which is the crux of the REAL issues). That’s a huge trickle-down disaster for Blacks who swallow the Donk swill. It’s a dysfunctional statistic that would drown ANY GROUP THAT CONFORMS TO SUCH A DANGEROUS WAY OF LIVING. Plus I don’t have respect for peeps too dumb to know they are pawns for a group of effete & hypocritical power-hungry vipers who use soft bigotry for power gains.

I follow the TRUTH. Fools like Yonah are being led by where their brains ought to have been parked.

And Sue The Pom what the hell are you crapping on about? You’d have a nice cuppa with a Jihadi so what you are spewing is just a heaping pile of um-gala-gala!

sue is crapping on about nothing, Skunky. She is (for the moment) trying to avoid obvious proselytizing, but since that’s all she knows, she’s just babbling. And you’re right: she’d sit down with jihadi at the least invitation.

Sorry to burst your clouded bubble yonah hall but I know several White people who get it about race relations more than Blacks. At least you can talk to them about it without them having the built in chip on their shoulder like my fellow Blacks. And please never let a conversation get to the subject of Obama. Black liberals tend to loose their freaking minds about that idiot. You seem like one of those types.

Oh brother, Yonah. No one cares where you live or what party you voted for. I’m NOT “Miss Cleo” and I only know what you foolishly state in your posts and I was responding to YOUR statement that you won’t talk to White people because they just can’t understand. Then you throw in heaps of other foolishness to sleight-of-hand your dopey INITIAL statement.

Deb, you slammed that right out of the ballpark. When a lib invites you to talk about race, they only want the discussion to be about the evil “White Devils” sticking their pitchforks into the downtrodden blacks & other “minorities”. Plus, does anyone really want to be preached to by some skinny, hippie-parented, leftwing, uninformed, coffee server? I think not!

Are we now going to begin to hear about spies, or plants, employed by the Company, who are sent in, disguised as customers, in order to entrap those Baristas who fail to toe the Party, I mean, Company, line, when taking the racist “customer’s” order ? Public show-trials, perhaps ?

We’ve been having a conversation, or rather a monologue, on race for 40+ years. Where has that gotten us in race relations? Generally speaking, most people get along fine. As with all issues, it’s the 10% fringes on either side that muck up everything. Think about your daily interactions with minorities? Are they contentious or do you just get along?

Being a FLAT (broke) WHITE when the Batista barista asked me how I liked my coffee I said: “Like my wife”. Puzzled, she asked “How’s that?” I replied: “Short, bold, black, sweet, skinny, wet, with legs” End of race conversation. Perhaps by making the race conversation a little “racy” it become taboo, or at least tabled (for two).

CC borrow freely. Love the murky and bitter.Unfortunately it is too often true. At the risk of being called sexist or msygonistic one could add cold, burnt, weak, solo.Any could apply to men as well.Part of the human condition-sadly.

Thanks Mike for the permission. Fortunately, I married a woman 26+ years ago who is strong, independent and is not murky, bitter, weak, etc. People have asked me who is smarter – my wife or I. When I say I am, they ask why I said that. And I tell them, well she married me and I married her, who made the smarter move?!

I have never been to a Starbucks, now I really will never be at a Starbucks. I don’t know, I would prefer to call the not very highly paid counter person a clerk, or a waiter, or almost anything but a barista.

Are you an authority on Blacks? Who are you some King of Bigots. The people here, what sewer did you crawl out of?”
Its Bigots like you who keep it going and why the CEO feels the need for this dumb implemented plan. You, person are part of the problem not the solution. Yuck!

Historically, you get the black vote by giving them a tiny amount of money. Just enough money to buy government, oil based cheese, a small 2 bed, 2 bath house with cinder block floors and a 0.16% chance to go to college on a government scholarship. Per capita, you buy their votes with what amounts to $20 a day.

If actually doing something substantial for them actually garnered votes, you’d have no problems pulling them over to the Republican party… but no. They are easily bought with government cheese and run down houses that the Democrats lock them down in for generations and… apparently they’re fine with that.

On one hand, you could promise them all $15/hr jobs, real quality health insurance, nicer schools and cleaner neighborhoods… but of course it comes with the catch that they have to work for it or they lose their government aid. Democrats say, “Republicans want to take your money. Here, have some cheese, a cheap roach infested government tenement and vote for us!”

(This is a comment I found on the web, I liked it so much, I had to share) Now don’t you think that would make a great ice-breaker?

Maybe we should ask the owner of Starbucks how much “diversity” is in his neighborhood? Does he live in a wealthy community that has no diversity, like most limousine liberals do?

Reverend Wright bought a house in Tinley Park, Illinois in a gated community that is 93% white and only 2% black. For someone who hates white people, he sure doesn’t mind living around them. On another note, his daughter was recently arrested for money laundering.

I get my coffee at the Thom Thumb for $84 cents with the senior discount. T astes the same to me.

My questions would be to a geek barista:

Would we be having this dialogue about race if we had a white president? Also, would we be having this discussion if we did not have slavery in America? Furthermore, do you give a fuck about this racial confrontation and if so why?

“How many Black People, percentage wise voted for Obama-Putin and the Donks? It’s in the 90 percentile. That’s all you need to know that proves my point”

Your disgusting hateful argument, so you are not a very bright person. I have seen where people like you always throw in Black peoples faces that Blacks voted for Mr.O because he Black. You are ignorant. Blacks always vote for Dems regardless Black or White. You are hateful, a hatemonger. Pure sewage. Facts as you say? I have facts below. Those percentages are in reference to the Black vote.

This isn’t about race relations, this is about reminding me of my so called WHITE PRIVILEGE.
I stopped going to Starbucks a long time ago because:

1) Starbucks closed all of their stores in Israel due to alleged “security concerns”; however Starbucks has no problem opening numerous stores in Muslim majority nations where stonings, beheadings and closing for the month of Ramadan appear not to be an issue.

2) No concealed carry.
I don’t own a gun, but why would I go to into any establishment
that refuses to uphold my 2nd amendment rights?

I’ve never like Starbucks. Their coffee is too high priced and it taste like burnt sludge. Wawa and 7-11 have cheaper and better tasting java anyway. It is funny though to see the people in either Barnes and Noble or Farm fresh sit in their little areas reading their various literary tools while drinking their brews. You have to wonder now when the usually young barista, baristool, baristupid whatever is talking about when they deliver the drinks to the patrons. If I happen to go to a Starbucks in the really distant future and was asked by one of these pimply faced goofs about race I would pose this single question: Have race relations gotten better under the reign of Obama yes or no? Any liberal whether they work at Charbucks(thanks Alfredo)or not cannot answer this question honestly but it’s fun watching them try.

More sophistry- just what our society needs. I’m glad to see the usual supects in here bringing up things that would only bounce off any barista’s numb skull.
I’m concerned, though; because, I would have expected to see a comment from the resident dummy bigotD. I hope that one of his fellow B.U.A.N. members has not done him some harm.

Mr. Nadie, you and I have never had any banter or exchanges that I can remember, but by the comment you made and your sarcasm, its clear you don’t agree with posts that I have posted in the past.
However you checked on me, thanks.
As far as this issue, its dumb, I think its silly to put stress on a teenager to discuss race. Not to mention I will admit that Blacks can be oversensitive with race issues, so I could easily see a scenario where a young White worker attempts to discuss race and a Black person takes what they said wrong and they fly off the handle. Lol. Not a good idea. Very silly.

yeah. I stopped responding to you long ago with your implicit threat of stomping somebody else’s head in because of one thing, or another, that you disagreed with. I felt no need to say anything, because Skunky usually deals with you in the most efficient manner.
Your words, and hollow attempts such as Starbucks’ vain efforts, only add to my cynicism.

Thank you Nadie, it’s my altruistic service for the very smart regulars here. He’s lame because he plays handle games…as if his dopey-ness can’t be detected.

And look above. We have a cockroach that has returned to sully the usual greatness of this blog. And that effete, wimpy, genital-less retardo moron has hi-jacked the nom de plume of my all-time favourite writer. As if. Roachy, you could NEVER be Ed McBain if you took his books & shredded them into liquid with a blender and drank it with your AM “Black Flag” plonk. I usually ignore you but you annoy me so much I just had to let myself like being annoyed by your preternatural annoyingness this one time. Take off!